Burial apparatus



Sept. 13, i938. B. F. AUSTIN BURIAL APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledFeb. 26, 1957' Sept. 13, 1938. B, F. AUSTIN BURIAL APPARATUS Filed Feb.26, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /lllllllllw I l l l I I III.

Patented Sept. 13, 1938 UNITE STTS ATENT @Fili kl. Claim.

This invention relates to a burial apparatus for use in lowering casketsinto a grave and more especially to one which comprises a carriage soconstructed that itA will travel upon a suitable trackway arranged nearthe grave.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an apparatus ofthe class described which may be used for lowering the casket into thegrave in a dignified and solemn manner in keeping with the nature of theceremony, without the necessity of the pall'bearers approaching tooclose to the edge of the grave and running the risk of the edge thereofcaving in. In order to eliminate this danger it is necessary to providea trackway leading up to the grave and a carriage for travelling on saidtrackway which can be used for placing the casket thereon. Of course thecasket will be placed upon the carriage when the carriage is positionedon the trackway at a point removed from the lowering position. This willeliminate the necessity of the pall bearers approaching the edges of thegrave. Also by providing a carriage for transporting or conveying thecasket over the grave, it will prevent the walking on the artificialgrass which is usually placed around the grave as an ornament.Furthermore it will make it unnecessary for any one to pass between thebereaved family and the casket prior to the lowering of the casket intothe grave. K

It is a further object of this invention to provide a burial apparatuscomprising a trackway extending longitudinally on each side of the graveand for some distance from one end of the grave and a carriage fortravelling on the trackway said carriage having its wheels encircled ina suitable housing, the lower end of which projects down past each sideof the tracks and to a point below the lower edge of the wheels, therebyconcealing the wheels from view and at the same time providing suitablesafety guides which will prevent the wheels from leaving the tracks. Byproviding housings with wheels therein beneath the carriage with thelower surfaces thereof disposed below the lowermost edges of the wheels,it is possible to use the lowering device in the conventional stationarymanner and eliminate the trackway should the conditions be such as todemand it.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a burial apparatuscomprising a trackway for carrying a casket carriage, said trackwaycomprising a pair of rails which are adjustably mounted relative to eachother on suitable cross ties in order to make the same conform todifferent carriage gauges and diiferent widths of graves.

It is a still further objectof this invention to provide a burialapparatus comprising a trackway having a casket carriage mountedthereon, with means disposed on said trackway for stopping said carriagein a position where the casket is adapted to be lowerd into the graveand a second means, manually operated, for securing the carriage in thislowering posititon to prevent any rearward or forward movement thereofduring the lowering operation.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objectswill appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an isometric view of aburial apparatusset up near a grave;

Figure 2 is an elevation looking at the near side of Figure 1 butshowing the grave and surrounding earth in section and also showing thecarriage in the lowering position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is asectional plan view taken along the line 4--4 in Figure 3showing the central portion of the trackway and also showing thelatching means for holding the carriage in position when it has beenmoved to lowering position;

Figure 5 is a sectional detail view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure4;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken along the line 6 6 in Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of one of the .adjustable rail shoes whichis slidably mounted in suitable cross ties and supports rails which areplaced thereon;

Figure 8 is a sectional view through the grave showing the loweringdevice in use where it is impossible to use the trackway.

Referring more specifically to the drawings the numeral I6 denotes asuitable pit into which the burial casket is lowered, said pit havingplaced at each end thereof suitable ties I I for supporting rails I2 andi3. Each of the ties II are U-shaped in cross section and have theirupper ends partially enclosed by inturned flanges Ila and IIb. Suitableshoes I5 are slidably mounted in these cross ties, said shoes havinglongitudinal grooves I7 and I8 in the side portions thereof into whichthe inturned portions I Ia and I Ih` respectively are adapted to t. Aset screw I9 is threadably secured in the upper side of the shoe I5, thelower end of said screw being adapted to engage the top side of flange IIh when it is desired to iix the shoe in position. This shoe has atransverse slot 20 therein into which tracks I2 or I3 are adapted to t.

In order to hold the rails in position after they have been insertedinto the slots and also to prevent any relative movement longitudinallyof the trackway between the rails and the shoe, a suitable pin 22 hasbeen inserted in the shoes I5 at a point slightly above bottom of slot20. 'Ihe tracks I2 and I3 have notches in their lower sides which areadapted to t over the pins 22 (Figure 6) to hold the parts in position.It is also necessary to prevent the rails I2 and I3 from becomingseparated; therefore the ends of these rails have been notched therebyforming interlocking notched portions I 2a and I 3b on rails I2 and I3respectively.

When the rails are mounted in its desired position a suitable carriage25 is placed thereon. This carriage is adjustable both as to width andas to length in order to accommodate different sizes of graves, and itcomprises adjustable side members 26 and adjustable end members 21 whichmembers are joined together by corner posts 28. Secured to the lowersurface of each corner post 28 by any suitable means such as screws orbolts 29 is a housing 3D, said housing having rotatably mounted thereinflanged wheels 3I which are adapted to travel upon tracks I2 and I3. Itwill be noted that the lower surface of each housing 3U is flat andextends down a substantial distance below the lower edge of pulley 3 I.In order to allow the pulley to properly engage the tracks a suitableslot 33 has been cut in opposed sides of the housing 30 and these slotsfall astride of the track and form additional guiding means forpreventing the carriage from running off of the track. This method ofconstruction also provides a housing which conceals the wheels from viewand thereby radds to the smoothness and general appearance of theceremony.

A casket 34 is placed upon the usual lowering straps 35 when thecarriage is in the position shown in Figure 1. Thereafter the carriageis moved longitudinally of the trackways to the position shown in Figure2. after which it is lowered into the grave pit IU.

In order to insure that the carriage will be stopped at the properposition for lowering, suitable stops 36 have been adjustably secured tothe rails I2 by any suitable means such as set screws 31. These stopsare adjusted in position prior to the ceremony- When the housings 30engage these stops, then the Vcasket 34 will be in the proper positionfor lowering. It is desirable then to secure the carriage against anybackward movement during the lowering operation; therefore a latch 38has been provided which comprises a bracket 39 adjustably secured torail I2 by any suitable means such as set screw 40. The bracket 39 haspivotally secured in one end thereof a pin 4I, the ends of said pinhaving prongs 42 and 43 secured thereon. The prongs 42 and 43 arenormally in the position shown in Figures l, 4 and 5, but when thecarriage has moved to a position where the foremost housings 30 engagethe stops 36, then the trailing housings 30 will be disposed on thetrackway I2 with their center line midway between the prongs 42 and 43.At this time the latch 38 is tripped to the dotted line position asshown in Figure which will prevent the housing from moving in eitherdirection upon the trackway.

The prongs 42 and 43 of the latch 38 are actuated by a suitable spring44 which spring has one end thereof secured to the bracket 39 and theother end to prongs 42. When the prongs are in the bold line position asshown in Figure 5, the line of force exerted by said spring falls belowthe pivot 4I and therefore holds the latch against the lower side of thestop 39a, which is integral with bracket 31.

When the latch 38 is pulled upwardly by the undertakers foot during theburial ceremony to a point where the line of force falls above the pin4I, then the prongs 42 and 43 will be drawn to the dotted line positionin Figure 5 where the prongs will be disposed on opposed sides ofhousing 3U to lock the carriage in position. It is therefore seen thatthis latch may be easily operated without the necessity of the directorstooping to operate the same. In order to enable the latch members 42and 43 to be removed from the path of the wheels without the attendantstooping over, a projection 43a is provided which may be pressed by thefoot of the attendant.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferredembodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only, and not forpurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe appended claim.

I claim:

An attachment for the legs of a burial apparatus lowering mechanismwherein the lowering mechanism comprises a carriage having four legs,the lower ends of which are provided with grooved rollers for engagementwith a trackway, said attachment comprising a base member having anenlarged upper surface serving to contact and support the lower ends ofthe legs of a burial apparatus, said attachment also having a broadlower ilat surface provided with a groove bisecting said lower surface,a grooved roller mounted in said groove, the lowerrnost portion of theroller being disposed above the plane defined by the lower surface ofsaid attachment, whereby the groove in said lower surface will act as aguide for the roller when the lowering mechanism is disposed on atrackway, and the broad lower surface will hold the roller out ofcontact with the ground when the lowering mechanism is not disposed on atrackway.

BENJAMIN F. AUSTIN.

